Conveyer mechanism



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CONVEYER MECHANISM Filed July 18, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aprfifl w, W35.D. M. DAVIS fbgggfigw? CONVEYER MECHANISM Filed July 18, 1931 2Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 30, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONVEYER MECHANISMDavid M. Davis, Washington, D. C. 2

Application July 18, 1931, Serial No. 551,621

10 Claims. (01. 3412) The present invention relates to improvementsgripping devices 6 positioned on the pitch line in conveyer mechanism,such, for example, as is thereof. shown in Letters Patent No. 1,613,445,granted As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a vertical section of January 4, 1927,upon the application of David the conveyer mechanism, which ispositioned out- 5 M. Davis and William B. Freeman. side of the maincasing I of the drying apparatus, 5

One object of the present invention is the proextends upwardly andaround a pair of sprocket vision of improved material-gripping means forwheels I and 8 which are mounted on a driven conveying mechanism.sprocket shaft 9 extending therebetween. From Another object of thepresent invention is the the sprocket wheels I and 8, the conveyerchains 10 improvement of the conveyer mechanism shown extend forwardlyinto the main casing I, carry- 10 in the aforesaid patent by theinclusion of means ing with them wet sheets of paper from the feed whichpermits the contraction of wet printed table 2, as will presently appearin greater detail. paper as it passes through the drying apparatusReferring more particularly to the gripping without releasing the sameand without wrindevices 6, as shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, eachkling or otherwise distorting the paper. of these devices comprises apair of jaw members 15 Other objects and advantages of the invention IIand I2. The jaw member II, may be conwill appear more fully hereinafter,when taken veniently formed of a bronze casting, and it is in connectionwith the accompanying specificaprovided with a tubular-like portion I3having 9. tion, claims and drawings, wherein recess or chamber I4adapted to receive a helical Fig. l is a vertical sectional view of theleft spring I5. One end of this spring abuts-against 20 hand portion ofthe drying apparatus and assoa closed outer end I6 of the tubularportion I3 ciated conveyer mechanism embodying the presand the other endabuts against a shoulder I I cut invention; I on an arm I8 of the otherjaw member I2.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the right hand por- The jaw member I2 isconveniently pivoted on tion of the drying apparatus and conveyer mechapin I9 extending between upwardly projecting 25 anism, but taken througha vertical plane which side lugs 2I and 22 having transverselyextendincludes the feed table; 7 ing portions 23 and 24, respectively.The lug Figs. 3 and 4 are detail, front and side elevaportions 23 and 24are secured in abutting relational views, respectively, of a shortsection of the tion to a link 25 of the conveyer chain in any conveyermechanism, illustrating the supporting convenient manner, as byextending connecting 30 of a sheet of paper by a plurality oflongitudinally pins 26 and 21 of the chain through openings 28 spacedgripping devices. I in the lug portions 23 and 24 and riveting overReferring to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, of the drawthe exposed endportionsof said pins. ings, the drying apparatus illustrated therein may Theupper side of the stationary jaw member take in general the form of thatshown in the I I is provided with a substantially flat, sheet- 35aforesaid patent, comprising a main casing I supporting surface 29 whichis positioned on the provided with suitable drying means. Convenpitchline of the sprocket chain to which it is iently positioned just infront of the opening to attached. When the gripping device 6 is in thethe main casing I is a feed table 2 which is supvertical sheet-receivingposition shown at the plied with wet printed sheets 2' from an adjacenttop of the vertical chain section illustrated in 40 printing machine(not shown). Figs. 1 and 2, this sheet-supporting surface is Among otherthings, the present invention conalso positioned in the same plane asthe upper templates improved conveyer mechanism 3, side of thefeed-table 2. 1' whereby the previously printed wet sheets may The jawmember I2 of the gripping device is be successively moved from the feedtable 2 provided with a portion 3I having a lower wall 45 "through thedrying casing I and subsequently 32 substantially parallel to thesheet-supporting discharged therefrom without any evidence of surface 29of the jaw member II when the gripwrinkling-or distortion. At the sametime, the ping device is in the closed position shown in inventioncontemplates a conveyer mechanism dot-and-dash line in Fig. 1, and alsohaving a which permits the contraction of the paper, at front wall 33 atright angles thereto. Positioned 50 least in one of its dimensions,without releasing in abutting relation to the wall 33 is a disk 34 thesame from the conveyer mechanism. To which is rotatably supported on apin 35 suitthis end, the conveyer mechanism 3 is convenably mounted inthe'adjacent'portion 3| of the iently formed of a pair of spaced endlessconupper jaw member I2 and secured therein by veyer chains 4 and 5 andpairs of opposed sheet means of a locking pin 36. The disk 34 is thuslower jaw member H.

In practice, the adjacent edge of the sheet of wet paper, which is to begripped and moved through the casing by the conveyer mechanism, is heldin position on the horizontal sheet-supporting surface 29 of the lowerjaw member by the spring pressed disk 34, which is in contact therewith,as shown in dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 1. However, should there be atendency for the paper, in contracting in the direction of its width,that is, transversely of the length of the conveyer, to pull from underthe disk 34 and thereby release the paper from the gripper, this may beprevented by forming a recess 31 in the sheet-supporting surface 29 ofthe lower jaw member I I which serves as a seat for the adjacentco-acting edge portion of the movable disk 34. When this disk is seatedin the recess 31, as shown in dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 1, the adjacentportion of the sheet of paper is forced into the recess 31, folding thesame around a shoulder 33 of the recess.

Thus, contraction in the width of the paper is effectively prevented andthe consequent release of the paper from the grippers avoided. At thesame time, contraction of the paper in the direction of its length,.thatis, longitudinally of the conveyer mechanism is permitted by reason ofthe fact that the disk 34 turns on its supporting pin 35 as the papercontracts in length, all as will presently hereinafter appear in greaterdetail.

In order that the gripping devices may be actuated into their open,paper-receiving positions when they reach the feed table 2, a pair ofcams 39 and 4| are conveniently positioned'adjacent to the feed table 2for co-action with the 'jaw member |2 of each of the gripping devices 3,as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. It will be:noted thateach of the jaw members I2 is provided with a projecting arm portion 42which carries an anti-friction roller 43 on the outer end thereofadapted for engagement with one of the adjacent cams 39, 4|, as shown inFigs. 1 and 2. The roller 43 may be supported on a stationary pin 44keyed in position by means of a locking member 45. The jaw member 2 andits co-acting cam are so designed that when the gripping device movesinto its sheet-receiving position illustrated in solid line at the topof Figs. 1 and 2, the disk 34 is moved entirely out of the path of theincoming sheet so as to permit not only horizontal sheet insertion asoccurs in the apparatus illustrated, but also vertical sheet insertion.

When the conveyer mechanism is moved forwardly from the positions shownin the drawings, the jaw members l2 of the upper pair of grippingdevices 6 are disengaged from the co-acting cams 39, 4|, with the resultthat these jaw members snap downwardly under the force of the spring l5,moving the disks 34 into engagement with the paper with considerableforce. The extent of this force may be regulated by means of a stop 46extending outwardly from the wall 32 of the jaw member I2 and adapted toengage the adjacent upper side portion of the lower jaw member l| whenthe gripping device is in its closed position. The stop 46 may take theform of a tapered pin which is suitably mounted in a tapered recess inthe portion 3| of the upper jaw member I2. 'This stop 46 also serves toprevent undesirable wearing of the disk seat 31 by the disk 34.

In operation, the wet printed sheets 2' are conveniently transferredfrom the printing machine to the feed table 2 and are automatically fedforwardly (by means not shown), so that the forward side edges of thesuccessive sheets engage the sheet supporting surfaces 29 of oppositejaw members II as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The forward movement of theconveyer mechanism from the position shown in the drawings results inthe jaw members l2 being disengaged from the co-acting cams 39, 4|,whereupon the disks 34 are snapped into engagement with the adjacentedge portions of the wet printed sheets, resulting in securely grippingthe same. The portion of the paper directly under the disks 34 is forcedinto the recesses 31, thereby further securing the paper and preventingthe release thereof from the grippers upon the tendency of the paper toshrink in the direction of its width. Shrinkage in the direction of thelength of the paper, that is, longitudinally of the conveyer is notretarded but rather assistedby reason of the rotary mounting of thedisks 34, these disks tuming upon the longitudinal movement of the paperoccurring during the course of the drying operation.

The continued movement of the conveyer mechanism causes the nextsucceeding pair of gripping devices to be actuated into engagement withthe'cams 39, 4|, and the raising of the jaw members |2 thereof into thevertical position illustrated at the top of Figs. 1 and 2. The rear sideedge portions of the sheet in question now rest on the sheet supportingsurfaces 29 of this pair of open gripping devices. Subsequent movementof the conveyer results in the actuation of the jaw members I2 out ofengagement with their co-acting cams 39, 4|, permitting the disks 34 tosnap into engagement with the edge portions of the sheet of paperresting on the jaw members Thus, a sheet of wet printed paper issecurely supported at its front and rear side edges by two pairs ofgripping devices which maintain their gripping contact with the paperthroughout its desired path of travel in the drying apparatus.Additional pairs of gripping devices may be used if found necessary tosupport the paper properly. When the paper has been completely dried,the gripping devices associated with each sheet are opened by cam means(not shown) and the paper is permitted to pass into a desiredreceptacle. The gripping devices are then carried by the chains 4 and 5into the paper-receiving position shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

It will be noted that the invention may be va-' riously modified andembodied within the scope of the sub-joined claims. For example, thegripping mechanism may be used in other applications than the preferredone referred to herein and with other materials than paper such as sheetor web textiles.

I claim:

1. In a conveyer, a pair of spaced devices adapted to grip acontractible sheet therebetween, a second pair of spaced deviceslongitudinally spaced from said first-mentioned pair of devices andadapted to grip therebetween said sheet, said devices comprisingcoacting sheet-engaging parts,

being movable with contraction in the length of said sheet, whilesubstantially immovable as the sheet tends to contract in the directionof its width, and means for mounting said sheet-gripping devic-s so asto support said sheet on the pitch line of said conveyer.

2. A conveyer comprising a plurality of gripping devices adapted toengage. a sheet at longitudinally spaced points so as to support thesheet, the length and width of said sheet being subject to contraction,said gripping devices comprising co-acting parts adapted to permitrelative movement between said sheet and said co-acting parts in thedirection of one of the dimensions of said sheet only, one of saidco-acting parts comprising a sheet-engaging element movable inaccordance with the contraction of the sheet in the direction of one ofits dimensions.

3. A conveyer comprising a gripp n device adapted to engage one edge ofa sheet, a second device in spaced relation to said first device andadapted to grip said edge of the sheet, at least one of said devicescomprising a pair of jaws,

spring means operative on at least one of said.

jaws, and a sheet-engaging and clamping member secured to one of saidjaws, said member being positioned with the axis thereof substantiallyparallel to the surface of the sheet and transverse to the lengththereof.

4. In apparatus of the class described, a device adapted to grip onepart of a sheet, at least one dimension of which is subject to change, asecond device adapted to grip another part of said sheet, at least oneof said devices comprising a pair of jaws, of which one is provided witha movable member, and means for causing said last-mentioned device togrip said sheet with said movable member into engagement with the sheet,said membr moving to permit change in said dimension.

5. A device adapted to grip a contractible sheet, comprising asheet-supporting jaw member having a shoulder, said device also having aco-acting jaw member provided with a movable sheet-engaging disk, andmeans whereby said device is caused to grip said sheet with said disk sopositioned as to fold the adjacent portion of said sheet over saidshoulder, said disk moving with the contraction of the sheet in apredetermined direction.

6. A device adapted to grip a contractible sheet, comprising a jawmember having a recess, said device also having a co-acting jaw memberprovided with a movable sheet-engaging disk, and means for causing saiddevice to grip said sheet, with said disk and the portion of said sheetin contact therewith positioned in said recess, said disk moving uponthe contraction of said sheet in one direction.

7. A device adapted to grip a sheet, comprising a pair of co-acting jawshaving sheet-engaging portions, means whereby said portions may beactuated into frictional engagement'with said sheet, and a stop carriedby one jaw for engagement with the other when the said jaw portions arein gripping engagement with said sheet.

8. A device adapted to grip a contractible sheet, comprising a pair ofco-acting jaw members, one of said members having a chamber and asheet-supporting surface, a spring in said chamber, the other of saidmembers being fulcrumed upon the first-mentioned member and positionedto be actuated by said spring, and a sheet-engaging disk carried by oneof said members movable upon the contraction of said sheet.

9. A device adapted to grip a contractible sheet, comprising a pair ofco-acting jaw members, of which one is provided with a cam engagingportion and a sheet engaging disk, and means for causing said device togrip a sheet positioned between the jaws thereof, whereby the sheet maycontract in the direction of one of its dimensions but not the other.

10. In combination, a pair of conveyer chains,

and gripping devices secured to the links of said DAVID M. DAVIS.

